Covering the renewable chemicals market, I’m always excited to try out consumer products that use chemical ingredients manufactured by start-up biotech companies that I’ve frequently covered in my reports. I’ve used Biossance skincare products by Amyris (which uses sugarcane-based squalene and Eighteen B skincare products by Bolt Threads (which uses fermentation-based silk proteins).

Now, I am eagerly awaiting the US launch of a make-up brand called LAST® which France-based Global Bioenergies will launch in June that incorporate fermentation-based isododecane. The bio-based intermediate represents 25-50% of the composition of the formulas.  Isododecane is a key ingredient in the cosmetics market used for its emollient properties in a large number of skincare and hair treatment products.  It is also a major ingredient in long-lasting make-up products.

The LAST® cosmetic line will reportedly combine long-wear, absence of transfer, water-resistance and naturalness for eye make-up. The LAST® brand is currently made up of three product categories: mascaras, eyebrow mascaras and eye shadow, all of which have a hold of at least 24 hours.  The range has 18 references taking into account the colour variation, which are currently in production in a French factory.

At the end of 2019, Global Bioenergies started a cosmetic formulation unit in its R&D laboratory located in Evry, where it first produced the prototypes of eye makeup products containing renewable isododecane.  Global Bioenergies is planning to expand the product line in the second half of 2021 with a vast range of liquid lipsticks.  By the way, Global Bioenergies currently has a partnership with L’Oreal which aims to test batches of renewable chemical compounds that Global Bioenergies has been and will be producing.

I will be reporting more about bio-based isododecane and Global Biooenergies’ activities in Tecnon OrbiChem’s May Bio-Materials issue.